Montana Extends Driver License Fee Waiver Through September

Montana residents will have two more months to seek a fee waiver when adding the state’s new citizenship marker to an eligible driver license, identification card or commercial driver license.

The Montana Department of Justice and Motor Vehicle Division announced July 28 that the program will continue through September 30, 2026. The waiver had been expected to expire after July 31.

Depending on the credential and transaction, eligible residents may avoid fees ranging from $10.30 to $68.50. The waiver is not a blanket free-license program. It applies only to qualifying transactions completed in person at a Montana MVD office when the applicant adds the citizenship marker, and fees are waived only as funding remains available.

Who qualifies for the waiver

The program covers renewals of current Montana driver licenses and identification cards, including credentials that are outside their expiration date under the program’s rules. It also covers replacement REAL IDs and all commercial driver license credentials, except for any REAL ID fee that applies.

Applicants must choose to add the new black eagle-in-flight marker to the credential. Montana law requires qualifying identification cards issued on or after January 1, 2026, to display an eagle image signifying U.S. citizenship. A separate Montana law provision applies the eagle image to qualifying driver licenses.

The state’s MVD guidance says the citizenship marker does not replace REAL ID and does not satisfy the federal REAL ID or passport requirement for domestic air travel.

REAL ID transactions are not fully free

Residents should distinguish REAL ID replacement transactions from new or renewed REAL IDs. MVD says the fee waiver covers replacement of a REAL ID when the citizenship marker is added, but the separate REAL ID fee is not waived for any credential.

The Department of Justice said a typical new or renewed driver license with REAL ID costs $67.47. During the waiver period, Montanans renewing a REAL ID generally pay only the $25 REAL ID fee. The ordinary $10.30 replacement fee for a REAL ID may be waived when the marker is added.

New or renewing visitor credentials issued without the citizenship marker are not covered. Fees also cannot be waived for appointments at authorized private partners such as MVD Express or AAA.

Documents may be required

Residents seeking the marker should be prepared to show citizenship documentation. MVD lists a valid U.S. passport, a government-certified U.S. birth certificate, a certificate of citizenship or naturalization, and a Consular Report of Birth Abroad among the approved documents.

Additional documents may be required depending on the applicant’s transaction and records. The MVD’s general document guidance says many services also require proof of identity, authorized presence and Montana residency. Residents may need two identity documents, such as a qualifying driver license, certified birth certificate or passport, along with proof of a Montana address such as a recent utility bill, bank statement, payroll document, insurance policy or voter registration card.

Appointments are recommended

MVD says the transaction must be completed through an in-person appointment at an MVD office. Residents should use the state’s online services portal to schedule an appointment and confirm that the selected office can process the credential transaction.

Walk-in availability may be limited. A private partner appointment does not qualify for the waiver, even if the transaction otherwise meets the program’s requirements.

Participation reported by MVD

The Department of Justice said more than 18,000 Montanans had added the citizenship marker since July 1. MVD reported that those customers represented 91 percent of customers during that period.

Those are state-reported participation figures, not an independently audited statewide total. The program remains temporary: eligible Montanans must complete the qualifying in-person transaction by September 30, 2026, and the waiver remains subject to available funding.

Sources

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